Fire-alarm and signaling system.



No. 883,226. PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908. J. D. NOLEN.

FIRE ALARM AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 8EPT.-15,1905.

3 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAR. 31 19 08.

J. unoum.

FIRE ALARM AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

asnnn'rs-sn'nm 2.

APPLICATION FILED BEPT.15.,1905.

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JIII'IIIIII zen ol the l nited F.

UNI??? i sutures PATENT OFFICE.

.IUI'N l). NULIZX, OI 'IULlLDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOJOHN E. SHEPHERD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FiRE ALARM AND SIGNALING SYSTEM.

No. sesam Specification of Letters Patent.

IPatented March 31, 1908.

Application filed September 15, 1905. Serial No. 278,683.

To all irlrolrt it may concern:

Be it known ihai Jonx l). NoLEN, citis, residing at Toledo, in thecounty ol' lawns and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Firc-iilarm and Signaling Sys tems, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, concise, and exact description. referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, formv ing a part o'l thisspecification.

My invention relates to an improved lire alarm and watcluna-ns si nalingsystem, and more particularly to the district boxes or stations whichare used in coni' ection with systoms of this kind.

The object of my invention is to provide a normally wound box soconstructed as to be available at all times for use in sending in a lirealarm and so arranged that the manipulotion or the box by a watchman inreporting his rounds cannot send in' a lire alarm signal.

My invention provides also a system which is continually under test andsubject'toimmediate (.liscovery in case of accidental derangement of anysort.

hly invention will be clearly understood by reference to theaccon'ipanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates in diagrammaticfashion a circuit arrangement which may be employed, Fig. 2 illustratesone of the boxes of my LIDPI'OVGfl invention, parts being broken away inorder to more clearly reveal the conin connection with HIV inventionneed not be essentially dillerent from that in use on other systems ofthe 1 present day.

Atthe central ollice I have shown a local circuit connn'ising thebattery 10, a record.- ing telegraph inst-rinnent 11 and the armatures12 and 123 oil-the lays 14 and 15, respectively. Tlu-wrelay 'arcprovided with front contacts 16 and ITimdfwith back contacts 151 and]S). A switching device 20 serves to connect togg clher either the frontcontacts or the back contacts, the figure illustrating the colnlition.in which the two hack contacts 18 and 19 are electrically connected.With. the switching device in this position, the retraction of thearmatures 12 and 13 closes the local circuit to actuate the recordingtelegraph instrument 11. When the relay arniatures are in their forwardor attracted position, the local circuit is open. The main circuit leadsfrom the ground G through a source of current such as the generator 40,thence through the winding of the relay l4 and the line limb 41 to thevarious stations on the line. These stationsare indicateddiagrammatically and may be of any reasonable number. Each is providedwith a code number, the stations shown in the drawing being numbered 28to 31, inclusive. Returning from the last station the line limb 42 leadsthrough the winding of the relay and thence through a switch arm 43which is normally connected with the ground at G. An alternative contact44 is connected with the positive side of the generator 40 and theswitch arm 43 may be thrown into connection with this contact ifdesired. This is in accordance with well known practice. The districtboxes are of a type which signal the line circuit and at the same timecausing-con between one of the line limbs and ground. With the switch 43in the normal position shown in the full line in the drawing, thebreaking and making of the line circuit causes correspondingdeenergizations of the relays 14- and 15 to close the local circuit atthe cent a] oflice, in accordance with the code signal sent in from thebox. At the time of each break in the line circuit one of thc'line.limbs is connected with ground. In case of a cross upon the line, or inthe event of a break in the line, the switch arm 43 is thrown to'itsalternative contact 44 whereby the entire line is connected with thepositive side of the generator, the negative side. of which is connectedwith ground At the same time the switching devic, is thrown into itsalternative position so that the local circuit 'wil "be closed only uponthe energization of" the. relays 14 and 15. These relays then aredeenergized except when the line is connected with ground. Under theseconditions, lherclmc, the operation of any one of the dis trict hoses inaltcrnatel makin and breakcentral oHice by making and breaking theresponding connections and. disconnections 35 of a slot 58 which engagesa detent 59.

line a box or casing 50, the door of which is" removed in order to showthe interior arrangement. Fig; 3, tl1ecross-sectional view of the box,shows normally wound clock mechanism 51 mounted between the front plate52 and the back late 53. A main shaft 54'- extends forwar throughthefront plate and upon this shaft is mounted the actuating lever 55. Thebreak wheel shaft 56 also extends forward through the front plate 52.Side by side upon this shaft are mounted the break wheels to and Thesewheels are preferably insulated from the clock mechanism and connectedby means of the brush 57 and conductor 57 with the binding screw 9 whichas shown in Fig. 1, is connected with the ground. The connection betweenthe brush 57 and the binding The brea post 9 includes a signalingdevice, which, in this instance, consists of a small incandescent lamp8. Normally the permissible motion of the actuating lever is limitedbythe length The contact springs 60 and 61 are mounted in a block ofinsulating material 62, the spring 60 being connected withthe bindingscrew 60 and the s ring 61 with the binding screw 61. l wheel being infront of the break wheel w prevents one from seeing the break wheel toin Fig. 2. The position of the springs 60 and 61 is normally such,however, that the springs are actuated by the break wheel to rather thanby the break wheel f upon the rotation of the'break wheel shaft 56. Thesprings are shown in their normal position in Figs. 3 and 5, Fig. 5being a top view of these essential parts ofmy invention. Fig. 7 alsoshows the normal association of thesepartsi i i A system constructed inaccordance with my invention serves the purpose, 'first, of enabling awatchman or-patrolm'an to signal the central ofiice toindicate that heis making the rounds of the various stations on his beat. The watchmanis expected on passing each of the district boxes to actuate the same tosend a watchmans signal to the central oflice. This is accomplished bydc ressing the actuating lever 55 through sue a dis-. tance as ispermitted by the detent 59 and the slot 58 in, the lever itself. Suchdepression of the lever might be accomplished and grasping the lever. Iprefer, however, to lock the inclosingv box 50 with the lock which, ifthe cover were in'place, would occupy the position which is indicated bydotted lines at 62. Through the front of the cover there is provided aslot or opening be inserted. The key is so formed that its lower edge 65will engage the upper surface of the actuating lever 55 to depress thesame as thelaey is inserted into the slot. The limited depression of theactuating lever-which cient to move the ratchet wheel 65' the space ofone ratchet tooth. This ratchet wheel is mounted upon the main shaft;54.Upon the withdrawal of the key from the slot the actu- ,ating lever isreleased and the ratchet wheel 65 engages the pawl 66, which is mountedupon the first wheel of the gear train to robeing driven by the mainsprings 67 which are. attached at one end to the-main shaft 54 and atthe other to the post 68, andbeing controlled in its movement by theescapement 69. The ratio of gearing between the such that a return ofthe actuating'lever to its normal positioncauses the break wheels f andw to rotate a third of a revolution. The break wheel w which sends inthe watchmans signalis divided into three parts, each of the segmentsbeing provided with projections-or teeth identical with those on each ofthe other two segments. As the break wheel the contact spring 60 tobreak its electrical connection with the contact spring 61, as eachtooth passes the end of the spring 60.

on the break wheel of the boxes shown in the drawings is. such thatthree breaks followed by a closure for a short interval and then folsendinto the central ofiice the code number 3 1, it being observed that themain circuit includes a connection between the springs 60 and'61 of eachbox and that this circuit will engagesthe end of the spring 60. Eachtime a watchman in reaching this particular box l lo. 31 and wishing tore ort to the central oflice inserts his key wit the slot to depress,the lever 55 and thereu on withdraws the key, the break wheels wiil becaused to rotate through a third of a revolution and the code number 31will be sent into thecentral station and recorded by the telegraphinstrument 11. I may perhapscall special attention to the fact that thebreak wheel f takes play only when a fire alarm is tobe sent in tothecentral ofiice. Each time, however,

is permitted by the detent 59 is just suffitate the break wheel shaft56, the gear train main shaft 54 and the break wheel shaft 56 is w,therefore, turns through a third of a revolution, the teeth upon itsperiphery engage- It will be noted that the spacing of the teethlowedbyanother single break is adapted to' be broken each time a tooth of abreak wheel manually by opening thedo or of the'box 63 into which thewedge shaped key64' may no part in this operation but is brought into ithat a tooth of the break wheel to makes contact with the spring 60 themainv line will be connected to ground by way of the brush 57, thesignal lamp 8 and the binding screw 9 which is connected directly toearth. As indicated in Fig. l, the lamp 8 may be shunted by a resistance1 in order that the current may be adjusted to the current carryingcapacity of the lamp 8. The current traversing this lamp each time thata tooth engages a contact spring will cause the lamp to glow or flash,thus indicating to the watchman that the system is in proper workingorder. If he iinds that the lamp does not flash. the code number of theparticular box, he will at once report to the central station that thesystem is out of order when, of course, it may be promptly repaired.

My invention contemplates also the pro-.

vision of a boX which may he used for the purpose of sending in a firealarm as distinguished from a watchmans signal. To this end the contactsprings 60 and 61 and the block 62 upon which they are mounted, and alsothe detent are carried upon a s lide consisting of the rods 70 and 71which pass through holes in the front plate 52 and the back plate 53, aswell as through a cover plate 72, upon which. the clock mechanism ismounted by means of the studs or columns 73. This front plate in turn ismounted upon the pillars 74 which are secured to the rear of theinclosing casing 50. It isthis cover plate 72 which is broken away inFig. 2 to show the various parts which are placed between the frontplate 52 and the cover 72. The rods '70 and 7] are provided at theirforward end with a ring plate 75 to which the detent 59 is also secured.The pin. 76 serves to limit the forward motion of the slide. The frontof the case 50 is preferably provided with an eX- tension. 77 having athin glass window or front 78. In case of fire this glass is to'bebroken, whereby access to the ring 79 is obtained, and upon drawing thisforward, together with the slide in which it is attached, the detent 59is drawn from the slot58 in the actuating 'lcver 55, whereupon the clockmechanism is released and the gear train is set'in motion to rotate thebreak wheels to and f. The upward motion of the actuating 'lever 55 maybe limited by means of a stop 80 extending from. the plate 72. While theactuating lever travels upward to the end of its stroke, the breakwheels are rotated through two coin plete revolutions. The extension 80from the lower side of the lever 55 prevents an operator from pushingthe slide back into itsmitial position because the de tent engages withthis extension 80 to pre vent any further movement of the slide, itbeing understood, of course, that the lever commences its forwardmovement the instant the detent disengages the lower side of the slot58,the springs of the clock mechanism being of course under tension at alltimes.

The forward movement of the ring 7 9 and its slide in order to releasethe mechanism to send in a lire alarm serves also to shift the positionof the contact springs 60 and 6]., bringing them forward into suchposition that they will be actuated by the break wheel instead of by thebreak wheel w. The break wheel contains a signal code which, for examle, may be the telegraphic letter (lUt, das 1, dot, followed by the codenumber 31. Inthe drawings this signal is repeated three times on theperiphery of the break wheel so that for two revolutions it would berepeated six times on the telegraphic register at the central office. Asin the case of a watchmans signal, the break wheel f causes a series ofbreaks between the contact springs 60 and 61 and for each break in theline circuit a deenergization of the rel ys at the central oflice causesthe closure of the local circuit, including the registering telegraphinstrument. The drawings illustrate an auxiliaryhandle 81 which may beused to actuate the box a second time, even after the ring 7 9 has beenpulled forward, as above (lQSGllbQd. To send in a second. hre

alarm, the handle-81 is grasped and pulled downward until the leverreaches its initial position, whereupon the handle 81 is released andthe actuating lever can return to its alternative position. The downwardstroke of the lever 55 may be limited by the length of the slot 85. Thehandle 81,.however, is normally not accessible for this use. As bestillustrated in Figs. 3 and 6, it normally occupies an upright positionjust back of the cover plate 72. This handle is hinged at 82 upon theactuating lever 55, it being retained 'which extends below the handle 81is released from the detent S3, whereupon. ,the handle 81 falls forwardthrough the slot 85 in the cover plate 72, thus making the handleaccessible for the purpose of drawing the actuating lever 55 downward tosend in av second or a third fire alarm. After the box ias. re user.r'sc ('1 'i in: arm h l len lfu =nl1ignti1 ill 1 this way, it isrestored to its initial position by someone connecteril with the liredepartment, who has access to the interior of the boX,'by means of thelock 62". in Fig. 2 l have ind' mted the case 77 by dotted lines. thisbox being upon the. front of the cover which is not shownin. thisligure.

There is another 'l'eaturc associated with inclusive, on Fig. 1 of thedrawings.

ollice, the following means is provided.

/ boxes. It is a frequent practice in providing lire alarm service ofthis nature to equip a building or industrial establishment with anumber of alarm boxes, such, for instance, as those having the codenumbers 28 to 31,v Theseboxes may all be located on a singlcdoop of themain circuit, as there indicated. In-the event of a fire in such anestablishment it is not infrequent that more than one of the boxes shallbe pulled at about the same time and in order to prevent a clashing ofthe signals through these boxes at the central pair of insulatedelectrical contacts 86 and 87, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, is mountedupon an insulating block secured to the back plate 53. -A projection 88extending outward from the slide rod 71 engages the spring 87 when thering 79 is pulled forward, thereby bringing the springs into electricalcontact one with the other. These springs are connected across the loopon the side of the box away from the central office so that when a slidein any one box is pulled forward to send in a fire alarm all the otherboxes on the same loop, but more distant from the central oflice, areshort circuited out and the box nearest the. central office. controlsthe signal which is being sent in. It, therefore, box 29 were pulled andit had only commenced to send in its signal when box 31 were pulled,then box '29 would be immediately short c'ircuited out of service by theconnection of the contact springs 86 and 87 and box 31 would send in itscomplete signal to the central oifice. The most distant box on the loop,is not provided with such connections for there is no more distant boxwhich need at any time be short circuited out of use.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention,

many modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art and Ido not wish to limit myself to the precise arrangement herein shown,many of the features being illustrated in diagrammatic fashion only, itbeing understood that in commercial prac-. tice other forms of apparatusmaywell be used. v

What I claim as new and desire to/secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a signaling system, the combination, with a line circuit leadingfrom a central oilice to a series of circuit controlling substations, oftwo sets of make and break mechanism at each station, means at eachstation for limiting the movement of the associated make and breakmechanism, and means for removing said. limiting means and effectivelychanging the control of the circuit 2. In a signaling system, thecombination i with a main line circuit leading from a central oiiice toa series of circuit controlling stations, of switch mechanism at eachsubstation, two break mechanisms at each substation associated withvsaid switch mechan-r isms, a detent at each station serving to limitthe movement of the associated make and break mechanism, and means forsimultaneously removing said 'detent and changing the control of saidswitch mechanism from one break mechanismto the other.

3. In a signaling system, the combination with a mainline extending froma central o'tlice to a series of circuit controlling stations, of switchmechanism controllingsaid circuit, two break wheels at each station forcontrolling said circuit, normally wound mechanism for actuating saidbreak wheels, a detent at each station for limiting the movement of saidnormally wound mechanism, and means which,-when actuated, simultaneously causes the removal of. said detent and the transfer of thecontrol of said switch mechanism from one break wheel to the other. I 4.In an alarm box of the class described, the combination with normallywound clock work, of an'actuating lever associated therewith, two breakwheels adapted to be driven by said clock ,work, switching mechanismassociated with one of said break wheels, a detent to limit the movementof said actuating lever, means for controlling said detent, andmeans-whereby an actuation of said controlling means to release saiddetent transfers the operative control of said switching mechanism fromone of said break wheels to the other.

5. In a fire alarm and signaling system, the combination with a lineleading froma central oflice through a series of stations, of a air ofswitch contacts at each station included in the-main linecircuit, two.sets of switch controllingmechanisms at each substationfor actuatingsaid switch contacts, meansf'ior transferring the control of said switchcontacts from one of said switch mechanism sets to the other, anauxiliary pair of switch contacts controlling a circuit in shunt of theother stations on theline, and means whereby the actuation-of saidtransferring means causes the actuation of said auxiliary pair of switchcontacts.

6. In a signaling box of the class described, the combination withnormally wound clock mechanism, of a make and break mechanism I woundcondition, and means whereby-the re lease of said clock workrenders.said auxil aryfi f actuating means accessible for winding saidcombination with two break wheels provided v-clock'work ada ted to; bewound thereby,"

nal" controlling projections driven by saidf clock work, switch contactsadapted-to be 1 the combination with normally wound clock' certaincharacteristics is sent over the line,

so. {to allow prolongedactuation ofsaid lever and break wheels,switching mechanism adapted other, a detent serving normally "tollimitthe wheel, and mechanism for simultaneously. -30

mof said switching mechanismv to the other being sufficient to actuatesaid clock mech v anism to drive said break wheels to actuate moved fromsaid lever and the control of said over the line. i a 10. In a-signalingbox of the class dei-' Wound clock mechanism, of two break wheelsinaccessible auxiliary actuatin means for restoring said clock workto'lts libi'mally' clock work and releasing the'same 7. Ina device ofthe class described, the

with projections corresponding with diiiereiit code signals of clockwork for driving said for control by either-one break wheel or theotherfdetent means for limiting the motion of saidfbreakwheels whensaid' switching mechanismis controlled by-one break wheel, and means forsimultaneously removing said detentmeans and transferring theco'ntrolofsaid switching mechanism to the-other break 8. vIn combination, anactuatinglever,v

t ob'reak whee s having different code 'si actuated-by either onebreak-wheel or the motion ofsaid actuating lever when said-r switchcontacts are actuatedby onebreak releasing said lever and shiftingthecontrol breakwheel. i a

9.- Ina signaling box ofthe class. described,

mechanism, of two break wheels'ha'ving different code ,si nalcontrolling projections driven by sai clock mechanism, switch springscontrolling aline circuit ada tedto C be controlledby either one'of saibreak wheels, an actuating lever for winding said, clock mechanism,detent means for normally limiting the motion of said lever, thisrmotionsaid switch mechanism whereby a signal of and means whereby said detentmay be reswitch' mechanism may be transferred from one break wheel-tothe other simultaneously to send a signal of different characteristicsscribed; the {combination with normally having different codesignalcontrolling projections driven by said clockfme'chanisni,

switch springs controllingla line circuit adapted to be controlled byeit er one of said break whe'els, an actuating lever for winding saidclockmechanism, detent'means fornormally limiting "the motion ofsaidlever, this motion being'suflicient'to actuate said clock mechanism todrive said break wheels to actuate said switchmechanism whereby a signalof certain oharacteristics fissent over the line, normally inaccessibleauxiliary actuating'means for winding said clock work, and means wherebytherelease of sa d clock work renders said auxiliary actuating meansaccessi- 11. In asignaling' box the class de' scribed, the combinationwi-tl'i' normally wound clock mechanism, of two break wheels clockmechanism,-v detent means for normally limiting'the movement of saidlever, a wedged shapedkey for insertion through the box to L'driventhereby, switch springs controlling a line circuit.adapted to beactuated by either "ofs'aidbreak wheels,- a lever for winding saidproduce actuation of'saidlevenwhile release of said lever "causes therotation of said break wheels wherebya signal may be sent over the line,and means'forsimultaneously removing said detent to relase'said leverand-trans ferring the control of saidswitch springs to the other breakwheel to allow the prolonged actuation of said lever and the sending ofa signal of different. characteristics over the line.

12. In a signal box of theclass described,

the combination, with normally wound clock mechanism, of two breakwheels driven thereby, one of said break wheels being provided with codesignal controlling projections for sending a watchnians signal over theline,

the other of said break wheels being provided with'yprogecti'ons tosenda fire alarm signal over the line, an actuat ng lever for winding saidclock mechanism; :detent means for norinally limiting the motion of saidlever.

means for releasing said actuating lever and transferring the control ofsaid switch springs to the fire alarm break wheelssimultaneously toallow prolonged actuation of said lever :1 ml

to send tliefire alarm signal over the line.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscri be my name this 28th day of AugustA. D., 19.05.

g JOHN D, NOIEN;

*itnesses:

CARL A. HUEBNER, "BERT H. TiionPsoN.

